WHAT began as a bold response to a severe shortage of doctors in Mindanao has grown into one of the region’s most enduring institutions for health and service.
Homegrown Davao Medical School Foundation Inc. (DMSFI) formally launched its year-long 50th founding anniversary celebration on Thursday, January 8, with a press conference at its main building, drawing members of the board of trustees, administrators, faculty members, students, partners, and the media.
“This is not just announcing a series of events,” DMSFI President Atty. Alberto Rafael Aportadera said. “It is also an opportunity to look back at our history — and more importantly, to look ahead.”
Founded in 1976, DMSFI marks half a century of educating medical practitioners and health professionals who serve communities not only in Davao City, but across Mindanao and the Philippines. Aportadera described the milestone as both a celebration and a turning point.
“Our 50th year is not just a marker of time. It is a call to deepen our purpose,” he said. “We want this anniversary to be a celebration with meaning — more community engagements, stronger partnerships and initiatives that highlight our commitment to the people of Mindanao and beyond, and programs that reflect the core values of DMSFI."
From one unit to an integrated institution
Aportadera traced DMSFI’s growth from “one unit” into an integrated institution composed of four interconnected pillars: the academic programs, the Center for Research and Development, the Institute of Primary Health Care, and the DMSFI Hospital.
“They do not operate separately,” he said. “They work as one, guided by our mission and our core values — faith in God, integrity, respect, and excellence.”
Chief Operating Officer Dr. Oliver Victoriano said the golden anniversary will unfold through monthly activities throughout 2026, reflecting the school’s steady growth and expanding reach.
“Be part of the stories, the service, and the milestones that define DMSFI,” Victoriano said. “Together, let us make this a year to remember.”
A school born of scarcity and faith
Keynote speaker Dr. Lourdesita S. Chan, chairperson of the Board of Trustees, placed the anniversary in its historical context, recalling a time when Mindanao faced a stark lack of doctors and limited access to health care.
In 1975, she noted, there were only 61 rural health physicians in the region, translating to one doctor for every 5,194 people. Poverty, inaccessible facilities, and deteriorating peace and order discouraged doctors from serving rural areas.
“It was in this context that the founders pushed for the establishment of the medical school, despite limited resources,” Chan said.
She credited a consortium of institutions — Ateneo de Davao University, Brokenshire Memorial Hospital, the Development of People’s Foundation, San Pedro College, and San Pedro Hospital — for founding what would become the first medical school in Mindanao.
Chan recalled a defining quote from Sister Florida Manzano, a pioneering trustee: “We have no money, only faith.”
“That faith carried the institution through,” Chan said, supported by volunteer faculty members who taught with little or no pay and by community-driven efforts such as alay lakad fundraisers that helped keep the school alive.
Community health at the core
From the start, DMSFI anchored its mission on service to the poor, particularly in urban slums and rural hinterlands. The school adopted a two-pronged thrust: training community-oriented physicians and educating primary health care workers.
This led to the creation of the Institute of Primary Health Care in 1978, which trained katiwala or community health helpers at a time when doctors were scarce, and conflict displaced thousands of families.
“Primary health care was not an abstract idea for us,” Chan said. “It was a response to urgent realities.”
Over the decades, DMSFI expanded its academic offerings to include dentistry — also the first in Mindanao — nursing, midwifery, biology, and graduate programs in community health and participatory development. It strengthened research through what is now the Center for Research and Development and opened the DMSFI Hospital in 2003 to serve both patients and students.
The institution also invested in spiritual formation, building the Laudato Si Chapel, and increased support for scholarships, particularly for women, Indigenous Peoples, and students from rural communities.
Measured in lives, not just numbers
As it stands at 50 years, DMSFI has graduated 15,366 health professionals. More than half are women. About 70 percent are doctors — the very outcome the founders envisioned.
While national data still show uneven doctor-to-population ratios in Mindanao, DMSFI leaders said a majority of their graduates remain in the region. About 70 percent of DMSFI-trained doctors serve Mindanao communities.
“That tells us something about who we form here,” Aportadera said during the open forum. “We do not just produce graduates. We form professionals committed to service.”
Trustees and faculty members pointed to DMSFI’s emphasis on community immersion, teamwork, and values-based education as reasons graduates stay.
“They are at par with the best,” said one board member, a veteran physician practicing in Davao for more than three decades. “Many of the top practitioners in the city are products of DMSFI.”
A yearlong celebration
The golden anniversary will unfold through a yearlong series of activities anchored on service, wellness, faith, and community engagement. DMSFI formally opened the celebration with a press conference on January 8, followed by a blood donation drive on February 14 and activities marking Women’s Month on March 8. In April, the institution will bring together students, alumni, and partners for “Run Bold, Run Gold,” a fun run that echoes the school’s long tradition of collective action.
Community-centered initiatives continue in May with a Kasalan ng Bayan, while June 15 to 18 will feature a community forum and the recognition of local leaders. The midyear months will highlight unity and wellness through the DMSFI Sportsfest, scheduled from June to July, and the annual loyalty and service awards on July 15.
August marks the heart of the celebration, beginning with a “Golf for a Cause” on Aug. 7 and 8, followed by an ecumenical thanksgiving service and a grand alumni homecoming on Aug. 14. The institution will cap its golden milestone with the 50th anniversary grand celebration on Aug. 15, alongside a DMSFI bazaar running from Aug. 4 to 20.
The year will close with tributes to long-standing partners in October, the naming of the Mini Forest Park, and a grand community service in November, as well as an Employees’ Night and Thanksgiving Party on December 19 — underscoring DMSFI’s emphasis on gratitude, service, and shared legacy.
Atty. Aportadera said these events are not mere formalities.
“Subconsciously, they build teamwork,” he said. “This institution was born of collective effort, and it continues to thrive because of it.”
As DMSFI looks to the future, its leaders say the mission remains unchanged — to bring quality, compassionate health care closer to the people, especially those who need it most.
“Fifty years on,” Chan said, “this institution stands as a testament to what faith, service, and bayanihan can build — and to the lives it continues to serve.” MLSA